Eyes of the Innocent

  ***

  They made up their minds to leave the hotel after breakfast for a walk around the old part of town, making sure they always had a strong phone signal for whatever Valdieri had in mind. They were fed up with the guests and staff in the hotel staring at them and talking amongst themselves. It was the price they paid for arriving with no luggage. Matt felt that at any moment Zoé might be made an offer by one of the male guests who were eyeing her up and down. If they were hoping to remain inconspicuous they were failing.

  Two police officers in uniform stood in the lobby, and outside the entrance door they could see a white police cruiser with red stripes. Matt recognized the officers as the two who had harassed them yesterday, and he and Zoé must be the reason for them waiting there.

  The older officer came forward. "Mr. Rider, Mrs. Rider, you're to come with us. Don't worry, you're not in any sort of trouble."

  "How did you know where to find us?" Matt asked.

  "The night patrol found your car parked outside this hotel, and checked it was still rented to Mr. Rider here."

  Matt wanted to sound confident as well as innocent. "So why are you here?"

  The young cop smiled. "We're taking you for a little ride."

  "We have a lawyer who's helping us," Matt said quickly. "So we're going nowhere."

  "We're going to try and help you get your baby back," the older officer explained patiently. "Our Assistant Chief has this idea that he's at Senator Harding's house. Don't know why, but I guess he has his knife in the Senator's back. Long history between them. But we have to walk on eggshells, he says. Doesn't want this one ending with him getting moved out to grass early."

  "This is Valdieri's doing," Matt said. "This is what he was talking about on the phone. It seems things have moved faster than he expected. He certainly carries a lot of clout for an ex-archbishop."

  "We should tell Pete the job is off," Zoé said.

  "Pete?" said the older officer, looking decidedly interested.

  Matt shook his head. "Just another idea we had. You're our only real hope."

  "So Pete----" Zoé started to say.

  Matt tried to signal to her to say no more, and she seemed to understand his facial expression. "No," she said, "we will definitely forget about Pete. We will not see Pete again. He will be no help to us now."

  Matt sighed. Zoé was rather overdoing it. "Come on, Zoé, let's get in the car."

  As he approached the cruiser, he tried to look through the heavily tinted glass, and could make out someone sitting in the back.

  Zoé stopped, and let out a gasp. "It is Wendell," she whispered. "Wendell Harris."